Desperation becomes obsession in the movie that releases next month.
Freestyle Digital Media has announced that it will bring INFLUENCE to North American digital HD internet, DVD, cable, and satellite platforms September 4. Written and directed by Ryan Moore, it stars Grace Kaufman, Cheyenne Perez, Emily Hall, David Lengel and Hilty Bowen. The synopsis: “INFLUENCE tells the story of Patricia Abro [Perez], a filmmaker relegated to the fringes of the entertainment industry who, while struggling with her mental health, is desperate to make a Hollywood film. She sees her last and most potent opportunity when she stumbles upon Ashley Ortiz [Kaufman], a social media influencer and actress, and quickly develops an obsession. When Patricia approaches Ashley with a tailor-made project and is rejected, she gets a gun. Patricia breaks into Ashley’s home and takes her hostage. What ensues is a psychological cat-and-mouse game that culminates in a surprising and bloody climax.”
“INFLUENCE is a psychological horror about the dangerous space where performance becomes identity. What begins as a battle between a desperate filmmaker and a successful influencer slowly reveals itself as something more unsettling: two people trapped by the versions of themselves they’ve created. As each manipulates the other in pursuit of validation, success, and control, the line between the face and the mask begins to dissolve. The film asks a simple question: if we spend enough time pretending to be someone else, who are we when the audience disappears?”
